


Did Anybody Sleep With Joan Of Arc?

by HDH0111



Series: All The Gold Sold At The End Of The Rainbow [5]
Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: Dorks in Love, F/F, Falling In Love, Female Friendship, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Love, Love Confessions, Sisters, True Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-01-02 18:20:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21166064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HDH0111/pseuds/HDH0111
Summary: Only a few hours after the USWNT won the World Cup 2019, the party is in full swing.How could this day get even better? What's more exciting than Kelley O'Hara and beer?A huge revelation is around the corner for Sam Mewis and her longtime friend Abby Dahlkemper...





	1. All The Young Girls Love Abby

**Author's Note:**

> [Hey guys, thanks for stopping by. Please be aware that I'm no native English speaker so some phrases and word constructions might sound odd to you. I hope you still get the meaning though.]
> 
> “I wonder who's sleeping in your sheets tonight  
Whose head rests upon the bed  
Could it be a close friend I knew so well  
Who seems to be so close to you instead”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “I wonder who's sleeping in your sheets tonight  
Whose head rests upon the bed  
Could it be a close friend I knew so well  
Who seems to be so close to you instead”

**Sam’s POV**

“Sam, Sam, Sam, Sam!”, everyone was yelling as they stood in a circle around Sam Mewis, who was deliberately chugging what must have been her 15th beer. The whole National Team was around, including some of their family members who hadn’t gone to bed yet. Chants echoing in Sam’s ears, as she threw the final paper cup down victoriously, smiling at all the blurry faces staring at her. “Your turn now, Kelley”, the six feet tall midfielder dared her opponent. As a response, Kelley flipped the bird at her and started drinking one of her remaining five cups eagerly accompanied by the hyped crowd. This beer pong duel had been long overdue since KO challenged her at the beginning of 2019. Usually Mewis wasn’t much of a drinker but there were rumors spreading about some wild parties years ago which the master of beer, O’Hara, couldn’t ignore forever. Some people tried to talk them out of competing against each other because clearly the height difference was an advantage for Sam, but Kell didn’t listen and here they were.

Ashlyn Harris right next to Kelley started doubting her chances of success, “Three down, two to go. Or will we witness your first K.O.?” Most people in the crowd laughed out loud about the joke but Sam seriously tried to stay on her feet, so she didn’t even smile in case it’d get her body out of balance. “You good?”, Abby Dahlkemper asked as she went over to Sam to check on her. “Perfectly fine”, Mewis replied with a cute wink in her friend’s direction. Unfortunately, that small move made Sam’s legs tremble but she hid it well by putting her arm on Abby’s buff shoulder, pretending to watch Kelley’s attempt still confident in her win. Abs quickly analyzed that her companion was lying, so she laid her hand on the tall midfielder’s hip to stabilize her without anybody noticing. It didn’t take long until O’Hara had to give up because she couldn’t hold the beer cups without spilling half of the liquid everywhere.

Everybody freaked out over Kell’s defeat, running over to the winner to congratulate her with hugs and handshakes. Alex Morgan had to basically drag Kelley to a chair nearby because she wasn’t able to stand anymore. Mewis felt the alcohol in all 206 bones in her body but she tried to play it cool while holding on to Abby. Once they were done complimenting her drinking skills, Dahlkemper whispered, “Are we ready to get you up to your room now or do you want to puke in public?” Both knew that staying wasn’t an option even though Sam would have never admitted it. Still she agreed to leave the party through the mere endlessly long corridors to get to the elevators in the lobby. It took the two soccer stars approximately 15 minutes to reach Mewis’ suite but as her body collapsed onto the comfy bed, she was fully aware of how close she was to giving in and falling to the ground dead-alive.

“Rose is gonna be so pissed”, Sam said and started laughing. Abby shoved the tall woman’s legs onto the bed because she knew the drunken teammate couldn’t do it herself anymore. Then she laid right next to her, smiling and breaking out into laughter, too, “Lavell’s not the only one who’s going to be angry once you start throwing up all over the place.” Without further comments, Sam put her left hand high up in the air, nearly rolling off the sheets in the process. Dahlkemper high-fived her buddy so hard, that she grabbed Mewis’ arm afterwards to keep her from falling for real this time. “You’re cute when playing my bodyguard”, Samantha mentioned smirking in her teammate’s face and touching her nose a little too hard because she’s lost all control of her movements. Abs covered her hurting face, still laughing. “Thanks for breaking my fucking nose now just because you couldn’t let O’Hara win.”

“It’s not that bad, is it? Let me see”, the giant one demanded, crawling closer to check for herself, grabbing both of her mate’s hands to uncover her reddened face, “Oh damn it, I truly am Hulk.” Sam felt so sorry in this moment, she put a little peck on the hurt nose, cautiously to prevent it from further damage. “I think you hit my lower lip, too.” Sam raised one brow, not really believing this claim. “You’re stupid… but I’m drunk so I’ll take it.” The midfielder followed her friend’s wish and gently pressed her lips onto Abby’s. The defender embraced the moment, pulling Mewis closer by the shirt. Abs started grinning and Sam stopped confused. “Gosh, I’m in a beer shock”, D. said, not letting go of the giant’s top. It was obvious that the kisser didn’t like this response, so Abby clarified, “I didn’t tell you to stop. Go on.” Sam kind of already missed tasting her lips but tried to stay strong. “If you don’t like me on my beer-breath days, you’re sure as hell not gonna get me any other time.” Mewis pouted, claiming to be totally gutted even though she thought her friend looked really cute with her anticipating face, still waiting for another locking of their lips.

Sam rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling for a bit to calm her rambling stomach and to keep the illusion alive. Dahlkemper didn’t accept the distance and sat on top of her mate, nearly making her puke. “Oopsie, sorry”, she apologized, getting off of her torso. Both women laughed pretty hard about the whole situation, but Sam knew she’d have forgotten most of it in the morning. “Can you believe we’ve just won the World Cup?”, Abs wondered, lying on her side with the head resting on her knuckles to get a better view of the nice company she kept. Sam smiled, turning her head to face Abby. “That’s kinda hard to believe, yeah. Know what? It’s even more unbelievable that I became a world champion and a cheater on the same day. Don’t tell Aaron though.” Now that she had said it out loud, she felt really bad for what she’d done. Her smile turned into a sad face in the blink of an eye. _Oh how beautiful Abby’s eyes were._

“I know you’re trying so hard to be badass instead of the innocent baby that you are but… Babe, here are no badass-points to add to your cutie-account anymore. We’re done.” Mewis’ jaw dropped in shock. Abby continued, “The fuck! Did you really think I’d lure you in for a kiss if I weren’t single? Man, you think highly of me, I see.” Sam covered her mouth with one hand and grabbed Abs’ face with the other. “What happened to you guys? And when did you check out of Hotel Paradise?”, she asked, looking astonished. Her friend thought about how to answer appropriately for a bit and meanwhile caressed Sam’s belly playfully. _How the heck did I go from world champ and kissing teammates to breakup real talk in seconds? Sam, you need to reconsider your flirting skills!_

“We didn’t check out, our vacation had come to an end. Simple as that”, Abby explained halfheartedly because she didn’t mean to spend this moment with talk about her ex-boyfriend, answering her friend’s questions briefly to move on as soon as possible, “Why do you even care right now? I’m waiting to get seduced tonight.” Sam nodded understandingly, not comprehending anything at all because she tried to keep one of her bad jokes inside but ended up telling it after all, “Waiting to be seduced? Welp, I guess Aaron’s not coming. Wishing you a happy wait then.” She jumped out of the bed for safety reasons because obviously Abby would try to hit her after that. “I’m gonna kill you, Mewis!”

The prediction came true and Dahlkemper chased her mate across the beds and into the bathroom. There the defender covered the door to keep the bad joker from escaping her evil revenge once again. Sam distracted the hot blonde maniac by throwing a towel over her face and passing right by her before she was able to uncover her eyes. “Stop or I’ll throw the fucking lamp at ya!” Mewis knew that Dahlkemper would never do such a thing and all her talk were simply empty threats, so she kept running until she opened the balcony door to sneak out, slamming it behind her. Abby used all her strength to pull from the other side of the glass door but had no chance against her tall, powerful opponent. And in the blink of an eye, this funny chase through their hotel room became a revelation for Sam, standing there with her hands wrapped around the door handle, keeping herself locked away from her teammate, her friend, the girl she had kissed only moments before. This metaphorical picture of how she stood on a tiny balcony somewhere in Lyon, watching as the small time window between a first kiss and the one that go away was closing more with every breath taken unperceivably. Her heart stopped, her hands loosened the grip on the doorknob. The perfect opportunity for Abby to open the door. Dahlkemper took it without thinking twice, then ran up to Sam and hugged her tighter than ever.

The party many floors beneath their feet was still going, speakers blaring Bruce Springsteen’s “Moonlight Motel”. Abby’s chest pressed against Sam’s, clinging onto one another as if this was the only memory they’d take home with them, no thought of their victory crossing their minds. Maybe this was the real prize they had won tonight. “A sign says ‘Children be careful how you play’, your lipstick taste and your whispered secret I promised I'd never tell. A half-drunk beer and your breath in my ear at the Moonlight Motel”, The Boss sang as Sam’s hand found her companion’s muscular neck. Their heartbeats seemed to be in sync because their chests rose and fell at exactly the same time, fitting into each other perfectly still. Everything slowed down in their heads as Abby raised her head, got on tiptoes and looked at the woman, whose arms felt like home to her, with anticipation in the eyes. Sam was more than happy to obey, bent her neck down to the small girl and kissed her tenderly.

“Let's Marvin Gaye and get it on. You got the healing that I want. Just like they say it in the song, until the dawn, let's Marvin Gaye and get it on”, the random playlist echoed through the streets of Lyon. Abby let go of Sam’s lips for a bit, taking a look down the balcony to see if anybody switched the song deliberately because he saw them. “Don’t leave me hanging here, sweetcheeks”, Mewis wrapped her long arms around Abby’s hips, kissing her shoulder where the shirt showed some of her skin. Abs got goosebumps which her cute lover kissed away all over her neck and Dahlkemper giggled slightly. “I got to have you babe. Woah, there's loving in your eyes that pulls me closer. It's so subtle, I'm in trouble but I'd love to be in trouble with you”, Sam quietly hummed the lyrics of Charlie Puth’s song into Abby’s ear, while the shorter one started moving her hips against Mewis’ rhythmically. It felt like the perfect moment for the perfect pairing.

Suddenly they heard a shy couch coming from the balcony door. They swung around totally creeped out just to find Rose Lavelle standing there blushing. “Sorry guys, but I’d love to go to bed now. Can you please not make out in our room tonight? I’ll be dead in the morning already.” Abby nearly broke down laughing at the awkward situation and how Rose was not okay right now. “No honey, we’ll keep quiet. Don’t worry. No make-out session next to my lovely roomie”, Sam promised, giving the youngest one of the team a wink. “Thanks guys. Love you”, she said and went inside again to leave them on their own again.

They decided to have a seat in the two comfy chairs which were a little out of sight of Rose’s window, so she wouldn’t be bothered too much by the two lovebirds. “Paris would’ve been a better location to share our first kiss, huh?”, Abby said while breathing in the fresh air of the night right before sunrise. Sam shook her head, held Abs hand on the armrest of her seat and replied, “I don’t think that matters. I mean, just take a look around. We’re world champions who shared a kiss in their fancy hotel room right after escaping the biggest celebration of 2019 after witnessing the greatest beer pong victory of all time. We’re the lucky ones.”

She didn’t know how right she was…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading through the first chapter. It's very appreciated.  
Please give me some feedback through kudos, comments and subs so I can improve this reading experience for you!
> 
> [Also feel free to check out the first multi-chapter story of this series, including Alex Morgan & Julie Ertz.  
The stories aren't related yet, but check back to see more stories from my personal USWNT / NWSL timeline soon!]


	2. No Stranger To A Woman’s Needs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abby and Rose tease Sam trying to wake her on time for their departure back to the USA.  
After they succeeded, Mewis switches from grumpy to seductive in an instant...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Let me wake up heavy head lying in my bed with you naked  
Go put that song on that you love on repeat, until we can't take it  
I wanna drink pink lemonade, watching movie trailers till it's late  
And let's remember all the words that we think are gonna make our hearts break”

**Abby’s POV**

“Sam, Sam, Sam, Sam!”, Rose yelled loudly, doing something that made the bed Abby was asleep in shake so much, she feared she’d fall out of it. As she opened her eyes, squinting at the sunlight from the open windows, she saw the little rookie standing next to the bed Mewis and Dahlkemper had shared during the night. Lavelle tried to wake Sam by shaking her and the sheets and every fucking muscle in Abby’s body as a side effect, too. “Girl, stop the terror or I’ll go all Freddy Krueger on you”, Abs warned her, pointing a finger at the tiny teammate daringly. “We need to wake her asap! She’ll be so hungover from the party and that means it takes hours for her to get ready in time to catch the plane!”, Rose panicked, raising valid worries in Abby’s mind. _She’s right, I guess. Sam hates getting up early, especially when she’s drunk, which everybody knows because she’s a mean bitch during bus rides and flights afterwards if anybody dares to interact with her._ Fortunately, Abby knew exactly how to get Mewis to open her eyes and she shared the plan with Rose only gesturing things, so it would work properly.

Then Lavelle screamed so loudly that every single guest in the hotel must have heard it, “Oh my gosh! Abby is dead!” Abby had closed her eyes and laid still on her side of the huge bed, trying to breathe low. Nothing happened, so Rose tried again, “Saaaaaaam! Abby is dead! She’s not breathing!” The tall midfielder basically jumped up, grabbed Abby to turn her around and was nearly about to perform CPR, when Abs opened her eyes and laughed so hard, she had to cry. “Fuck you, Dahlkemper! And you too, Lavelle!”, the sleepyhead yelled in agony, knowing she could’ve slept longer without their creepy taunt. The two pranksters knew they’d be damned for their evil trick during the long flight home later today but it was totally worth it, also because the tall midfielder wouldn’t have woken up without their stunt.

After a few minutes of heavy laughter and a lot of swearing, Rose occupied the bathroom to get ready first, leaving the two lovebirds alone. Mewis sat on the edge of the bed, burying the face in her hands because she was too tired to move at all. “You’re cute when you’re grumpy”, Abby said, lying close to Sam’s back and sliding her hand under the sleepy eyed woman’s shirt, slowly stroking her lower back, “And I’ll gladly take the blame for waking you because no matter how angry you are at me, I’ll always have the memory of you holding me on the balcony last night.”

Sam raised her head, took some time to comprehend what her teammate had just said and couldn’t stop herself from smiling. “How can you be so sweet at such an early time? It makes me sick”, Mewis confessed, laying down next to her newly found lover. They stayed like this for a while, simply looking into each other’s eyes, trying to fathom the many opportunities ahead of them in their possibly joined futures. It wasn’t hard to see that Samantha was no longer mad, so Abby rolled over and kissed her distinctive jaw, making the tall one giggle. “I wish Aaron could see us now. He was so fucking jealous all the time, I bet it’d drive him crazy.” Sam smirked and replied mischievously, “How mad would this make him? I can only imagine…”

Abby felt Sam’s hands on her hips, slowly lifting the plain shirt she wore from the night before. Every inch Mewis’ fingers crawled closer to leaving her topless made Abs’ nerves tremble from the piping hot blood rushing inside her veins. “Oh, it wouldn’t surprise him yet. He was well aware of how affectionate you become when you’re drunk”, Dahlkemper responded, obviously understating the situation as a dare for her counterpart to go ahead.

Abby lifted her arms so it was easier for Sam to doff the shirt and throw it off of the bed. A relatively dorky move but right now it looked incredibly hot to the blonde defender. Being dominated by Sam who laid on top of her with her solid body, added even more sexual tension to it. “Did your ex expect me to do this, too?”, Samantha wondered as she placed sensual kisses from her lovers’ trained shoulders down to her breasts which were still covered by a neon-colored sports bra. Even though it was hard to utter any words, Abby managed to sigh and then answer, “Not sure… but he also did things like that.” This was a challenge Sam was willing to take on. She went down farther, caressing Dahlkemper’s bellybutton with her sylphlike tongue, pushing the defender even closer to the edge. Abby could feel the lust consuming her body, totally willing to give in to whatever her teammate intended to do.

“Guys, you have to be ready in one hour! Don’t be late!”, Jill Ellis’ voice shouted from outside, bringing both of them back to reality. None of the women were able to reply because they were still caught in the heat of the moment, so the coach entered with her own key card after a few more knocks. She stood there, paralyzed by what she had just witnessed, turning around in shame and saying, “Alright, whatever I just came crushing in on, I don’t want further details. Just hurry the fuck up. We have to be on time!”  
As soon as she had left and closed the hotel room door behind herself, Abby and Sam got away from one another and started laughing loudly about the weird interruption. “Fuck, that was surprising”, Abs stated, still breathing heavier from the excitement. Sam turned to lie on her side, facing the pretty teammate with a bright smile. “Yeah, I get that a lot. Without Ellis storming in, you’d have known by now, that I’m no stranger to a woman’s needs.”

Rose came out from the bathroom, wondering, “Who was that?” One towel wrapped around her slim body, the second one around her dripping wet hair. Sam replied instantly, “Jill just came in, saw us making out and left. Nothing of your concern, Rosie.” All three women burst into laughter and Lavelle almost lost her towels because she couldn’t stop laughing.

The three world cup winners were ready eventually, catching the plane home on time without any other interruptions. But they weren’t able to refrain from laughing all the way back to the states, bothering their 20 other teammates. Even Jill had to suppress a chuckle a couple of times. Abby really hoped there’d be more of those crazy and funny memories made in the near future which she couldn’t stop picturing with Sam by her side.


	3. Main Attraction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “I could sit here for hours waiting on your arrival  
I would sit here for days hoping you would come out and play  
I could die in a minute and the one chance for survival  
Would be the sound of your beautiful name”

**Sam’s POV**

The airport was packed with people who were all trying to board their plane as soon as possible. Abby shut out the noises from the chatter all around by listening to some kind of podcast through her iPhone headphones. Unfortunately, Sam wasn’t able to pay attention to any videos because she was still half asleep from having to wake up so early. Her eyes were halfway closed when Dahlkemper, who sat right beside her of course, put her hand on the tall woman’s arm. “Don’t fall asleep again please. There’s no gentle way to wake you in public, we all know that”, Abby ordered with a soft tone in her voice. She didn’t even give Sam any chance to argue about it because her earphones were still plugged in. A half-assed nod from the midfielder was enough for the beauty to shift her attention back to the podcast.

When Mewis took a look around, all her teammates kept themselves busy quite well. Tobin played a game of Mario Kart against her favorite opponent Allie, Ashlyn handed another cup of beer to Rapinoe and Krieger, while Mal and Kelley walked around with Becky to see how many Pokémon she would catch in the airport before the team’s departure. Most of the others read books or took selfies with the newly won trophy. Once Sauerbrunn and her entourage stood close to Sam, she asked, “Why don’t you throw some pokeballs at Pugh and O’Hara? You’d definitely get a lot of applause from me.” Becky laughed and replied, “I’d love to but unfortunately that’s impossible because then the team would notice that I can have fun like an ordinary human being. It’s not easy being a goddess.” This unreasonable way of thinking was actually pretty accurate for the team’s most hyped defender and Sam nodded in agreement.

Then Mewis’ tired eyes saw Rose returning from the restroom and she waved at her little friend to come over. Lavelle complied with the order and slumped onto the chair next to Samantha. “You’re not coping well with the early daytime, huh?”, the smaller one noticed right away. Sam let out a loud and stressed sigh, explaining obviously subdued, “We should’ve gone to bed earlier, I have to admit that. We partied too hard to face the day with only three hours of sleep. If we don’t get into the plane soon, I’ll pass out and sleep on the floor for eight days.” “Trust me, I’d have loved to drag you into your bed because tired you is pretty hard to deal with but… From where I stood, not even a hand would’ve fitted between the two of you last night.”

The tall midfielder turned to said lover for a moment and observed her rigorously._ Abigail Lynn Dahlkemper, 26, center back for the North Carolina Courage. Joined NCC in 2017 alongside myself because of the Western New York Flash trade. Friends since college. Starters for most of our World Cup ’19 appearances side by side. Conclusion: There was never any space between us._ “You’re my best friend so I might not rip your arm off if you try but I can’t promise not to hurt you at all”, Mewis clarified and made Rose laugh with this dorky comment. Then Lavelle responded, “Don’t worry, I won’t go all David on you, Goliath. The whole team’s been betting on you guys. Thanks for doubling my wager by the way.” Before Sam was able to ask any more questions about the whole betting behind her back, the tiny teammate left to go back to her luggage and fetch the Harry Potter book she was currently reading. _Aren’t those so-called “teammates” a fucking pain in the neck sometimes? Stupid bets all the time._

Abby gave Sam a slightly concerned look from the side and commented, “Don’t let it bother you. You’ve made bets on other people’s life-choices, too. It’s just for fun.” The tall midfielder looked at her opposite in shock, explaining, “Did you listen to the whole conversation and put the headphones in to hide that you’re eavesdropping? I’m shooketh, Ms. Dahlkemper.” Both laughed out loud, drawing everyone’s attention instantly. Quite an embarrassing moment, but once Kelley had shouted “Go get a room” through the whole airport, it obviously had reached the peak of awkwardness. “Boarding time, team. Get your stuff and come on over”, Dawn Scott, coach of the USWNT, shouted to get everyone moving this early in the day.

All 23 players hurried up to get their bags and carry them over to the terminal because they couldn’t wait to take their seats in the comfortable plane. Even Samantha got up and grabbed her suitcase. Then she watched Abby who carried her two huge bags to the waiting line and stood right behind her. “You really don’t have to carry all of it, Ash”, Ali Krieger said from somewhere down the queue. The tall midfielder leaned to the left to get a better view of what was going on between those two fiancées. “No, thanks. I got it”, Ashlyn replied to her future wife and carried all their luggage on her own, swinging from left to right every now and then because it was very heavy. Mewis whispered to Dahlkemper from behind, “I like you, but I won’t carry all your stuff around, just wanted to let you know in case you thought I am a gentlewoman.” “Yeah, noted. I’m never going to expect you to carry my makeup and clothes. Don’t mind me asking if you need help once or twice a year, though”, Abby agreed jokingly, then went on with the boarding procedure.  
_________________________________

_32 hours later in NYC (07/09/19)_

**Abby’s POV**

Mewis and Dahlkemper took a selfie with their Uber driver who had identified them as World Cup winners as soon as they had taken their seats in his car. He was a very nice guy and the girls enjoyed giving their fans something back. “Thank you, champs. Have a great night!”, the man bid goodbye and let the two teammates go their way. They headed to Le Coucou, a noble French restaurant on Lafayette Street in New York City. The pair had been promoting their glorious victory on NBC’s show “Today” all morning, so it felt just right to celebrate this huge milestone of their careers in private this evening.

When the two world-class players entered the venue, the waiter led them to their reserved table next to a large window, where Sam’s older sister Kristie and her girlfriend Rachel Daly had already ordered a round of cocktails for them. Before they clinked glasses and took the first sip, the four NWSL players greeted each other with hugs and some nice words to congratulate on becoming world champions. “I can’t believe you’ve actually beaten us”, Rachel said with pain in her voice which she had bottled-up since the semi-final between the USA and England. On-season Daly played for America’s Houston Dash but went on international duty for the Brits as her home country. “To be fair, at first Abby beat your ass while she was a starter. I didn’t do much for the final 25 minutes that I got to join her”, Samantha set the record straight, making Rachel give her an evil side-eye. “We’re here to celebrate, not dwell on England’s incapability to win”, Kristie reminded her lover, calmingly fondling her arm.

The athletes kept their rivalry-talk locked away for the rest of the dinner and simply enjoyed the delicious French food. They shared four of the main dishes: Maine lobster, roasted duckling, chicken and foie gras. Sam and Rachel basically battled over who was able to eat the most side-dishes which ended in Daly winning because Mewis had eaten too many French fries before their contest even started. It seemed pretty childish to Abby but somehow she liked watching her cutie Sam being her dorky self. “It’d be so amazing to have dinner without the two of you starting some kind of weird competition”, Kris confessed, fully aware that it wasn’t going to happen. Abby agreed with a nod, adding in a tired-sounding voice, “Leaving at least one of the side-dishes for the two grown-ups at the table wouldn’t have killed you either.” After hearing those complaints, Sammy and Rach started laughing and high-fived because it was their main goal in life to make the other two feel totally miserable for hanging out with them all the time.

As they were about to get up from their table, Kristie couldn’t keep her thoughts to herself anymore, almost bursting out the question, “Is it true, guys? See, I didn’t want to ask because you’re officially mature and all… but, you know… there are rumors and they’re spreading really fast right now.” Dahlkemper looked at her partner in crime, unsure what the older Mewis sister referred to. Sam looked just as puzzled, replying even though she was unsure of what to expect, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” “I’ve been texting with Rose to congratulate her and stuff. Then she told me about how tired she is because of the sleep deprivation from when you and Abby kept her awake all night. I mean, is it true? You two are glowing and seem very happy so I wouldn’t be surprised to say the least.”

While Abby was still trying to figure everything out in her head, Sam answered her sister’s question instantly, “Yes. Well technically not yet. Ehm… We haven’t had any time to talk about it since then but…” _But we’ve been acting like we’re together since college so it’s very obvious we’re probably dating right now? Come on Sam, say it!_ Dahlkemper thought about it some more while Mewis stuttered any word that crossed her mind, totally unrelated to her sibling’s question. _Maybe we shouldn’t rush this just because Lavelle couldn’t stop blaming us for her lack of sleep._ As she had finally agreed with herself, Abby laid her hand on Sam’s shoulder and replied for both of them, “Guys, Rose told you the truth and there’s no need to deny that but Sam and I didn’t have any time alone during the past two days to process what’s been happening and where we want to go. You’ll be the first to know once something is set.”

Kristie and Rachel understood that and didn’t bother them about it. Since they were about to leave, Sam and Abby waved them goodbye after another round of hugs on the sidewalk. _Thank god they left. Would’ve become unbearably awkward in a few seconds._ Mewis waited until the pair was out of sight, then turned around and kissed Abby passionately out of nowhere. The defenders’ heart skipped a beat and it took a couple of seconds until she was able to lock Sam’s waist in her arms. Maybe they had no idea which label their relationship was going to wear but it was safe to say they’d not go back to the friendship they had had before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading through the third chapter!  
Please leave kudos, comments, subscriptions and every feedback you'd like.  
Lots of love <3


	4. The Least Colorful Of The Founding States

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Howl at the moon if you want.  
Hell, you won't be the only one.  
There's no place that I'd rather be,  
than at home with you next to me.
> 
> Let it rain. I don't mind.  
I'll keep you warm, high and dry.  
Light your fire and hold you right.”

** _Abby’s POV_ **

“Can we take a picture, please?”, a little girl asked who stood next to Dahlkemper in the huge fan crowd. “Yes, of course. It’d be my pleasure”, the blonde defender replied and immediately knelt down to pose for a quick photo taken by the cutie’s father. In return, the national team player got a long hug and a big smile. The whole posing, smiling and having small talk thing during these kinds of fan events was Abby’s passion because she loved to interact with them. It felt like she was able to give something back for all their continuous support.

Meanwhile Samantha didn’t look as happy. She stood about 16 feet away, was also surrounded by fans and tried to make a nice face but Abby knew her too well. One look and it became clear that her favorite human didn’t like all the attention from strangers. Everyone on the team knew about it but it just came with the fame from being on the US women’s national team and nobody could take her place during the promo events. She was a main part of the North Carolina Courage team and even though their games weren’t as heavily supported as the national team’s matches, the people still wanted to see the giant Mewis sister.

As she had finished her fan duty, Abigail went over to Sam’s fan corner. The tall one seemed to be very pleased when she saw her. “Dahlkemper and Mewis – best friends for life”, a small group of supporters yelled when they spotted Abby on Samantha’s side. “Yes, best friends for ever and ever”, the huge midfielder responded loudly and wrapped one arm around her lover’s waist. All of a sudden, the usually uncomfortable soccer giant seemed to deal way better with the crowd around her. Maybe Dahlkemper had found a new purpose in that revelation. She turned her head to her girlfriend and gave her a seemingly friendly kiss on the cheek, saying softly, “My amazing best friend.”

Ten minutes later, the whole NCC team had finished their duties at the fan event and separated into smaller groups. Mewis and Dahlkemper decided to stay on their own and take a 45-minute-walk to one of their favorite places in Cary – the Downtown Park. Just as they were about to leave the WakeMed Soccer Park to enjoy their spare time, a familiar voice stopped them in their tracks. “Hey Sam. Good to see you again.” As Abby turned around in sync with her lover, she saw the face of the world’s most famous women’s soccer goalkeeper legend Hope Solo. Mewis hugged the ex-keeper tightly, then replied, “Hope. Good to see you too. What are you doing here? You’ve just missed the Courage fan event. They’d have been stoked to see you here.” “I don’t think I can compete against this year’s NWSL winning team but I’m sad I’ve missed out on the photo ops of course”, the famous athlete joked and shook Abby’s hand in the meantime because they hadn’t really met before except for some brief post-game interviews.

“Wambach and I were just about to head to the MC restaurant to get some Asian food. Care to join us?” Dahlkemper had been looking forward to spending time alone with her girlfriend so she wasn’t really up for a change of plans. “Oh no, we don’t want to interrupt anything. We were planning on going to the Downtown Park”, Abby explained and took Sam’s hand reflexively. Hope nodded and gave them a knowing wink. “Trying to establish some quality couple time here, I see. The restaurant is just around the corner from the Park, isn’t it? Why don’t we walk over there together, then separate to do our own thing?” _We can’t argue with that, though meeting in the middle was never my style. Gosh, I really want some time with Sam now._ She knew she’d have to be patient a little longer, but it felt like years since they’ve kissed. Sam took over and agreed, “Yeah, that’s a good idea. We can catch up on the latest stuff on the way there.” They waited for Abby Wambach to come over after taking some fan photos, then went along together.

** _Sam’s POV_ **

Thanks to Wambach’s and Mewis’ long, fast-paced legs, their 45-minute-walk was about to be a whole lot shorter. “So you two are a couple now?”, the tall Abby wondered. “Yes, we’ve been in a relationship since July. Haven’t regretted it so far.” Dahlkemper punched her giant lover because of the funny but mean comment, which made everyone laugh. “I suppose this is a couple-walk then. Rumor has it, you’ve been the reason why Abby filed for divorce from Glennon Doyle”, the blonde defender asked, looking at Hope for a reaction. Solo lifted her sunglasses, winked at Abby D. and answered with a smile on her face, “Yes, we’re a thing since July too. Seems like it was a great month to start new relationships.”

A few steps later, Abby W. and Samantha, the leading team, listened carefully to the banter coming from behind them. Their two women talked about the states they’d lived in or at least stayed at for a little while and if they liked them or not. Hope’s feminine voice repeatedly turned the conversation to Pennsylvania. Even though Mewis and Solo had only been teammates for a short period of time, this didn’t make much sense to the tall soccer player. _She’s from Richland, Washington. I remember all her stories about her hometown vividly. The goalkeeper legend never spoke highly of any other state or city._ Hope wasn’t known to change her mind easily so hearing all the positive talk about a state so far from her original home seemed a little bit off to Sam.

“So, how’s life for you guys lately? Is training here in Cary going well?”, Wambach wondered, and it became obvious that she wasn’t good at doing small talk with ex-teammates. “We’ve won the season barely a month ago so right now it’s all about relaxing and resting. Not much going on lately to be honest”, Mewis explained and gave her opposite a friendly smile because she wasn’t much of a small talk person herself. Hope couldn’t take the tension anymore, so she stopped and ordered loudly “let’s stop for a moment and talk”.

Everyone obeyed but Abby D. and Sam weren’t really sure what was happening. “I hate to admit it but she’s right. I can’t go on beating around the bush like this”, the tall retired forward agreed and let her shoulders relax finally. Solo put her hand on Wambach’s shoulder reassuringly, then waited for the blonde butch to continue. “We came here on purpose. Meet you two wasn’t a coincidence, we just didn’t expect it to happen so early in the day.” Abby W’s face wasn’t readable, so Sam began to worry about their reason for coming to this godforsaken city. She took a look at her favorite human’s expression which didn’t help because Dahlkemper seemed to be as worried as Mewis at this point.

“We’re here to make you an offer you very likely won’t refuse”, Solo added to her partner’s introduction, making Wambach laugh because of the movie reference, “Abby and I are only weeks away from starting our own soccer club. We’ve just spoken to some potential founders who agreed to finance a female soccer team and a female basketball team for the next two years in advance.” Hearing this news got Sam overly excited. She had to restrain herself from jumping from one foot to the other because of all the joy she felt rising in her body. “So… does you being here, talking to us… does that mean you want us on the team?!”, Dahlkemper wondered, her face getting all red from the rising tension she tried to hide. Hope wanted to let the excitement rise even higher, but Wambach couldn’t resist, so the tall, legendary forward replied with a huge smile, “Yes, we definitely want you two on the new team. Dunn already agreed and wants her contract sent over as soon as possible but you can take some time to think about it. We don’t want to rush anything in case you might regret it later.”

The two younger women couldn’t stop smiling and Mewis giggled joyfully. “Of course, we’re offered contracts by a new team founded by fucking g.o.a.t. Abby Wambach and her legendary goalkeeper girlfriend Hope Solo, but we shouldn’t rush anything because this could turn out to be a very miserable club. Are you kidding?! That’s ridiculously awesome!”, Samantha yelled loudly, then hugged Wambach tightly. This was going to change their lives and Mewis was more than happy to embrace this new opportunity.

_Two hours later in Sam’s apartment_

Their way home was full of incredulous laughter and a lot of disbelieving monologues that made no sense. As Samantha unlocked the door and went inside, Abby immediately continued speaking her busy mind, “I can’t believe it. They want us on their totally overpowered team! How the hell can one say no to this? Can we even tell anyone yet or do we have to wait for the contracts? Gosh, this is so freaking amazing.”

Mewis’ mobile rang and she answered without even looking who the caller was. “Sending over a contract now. Don’t look at it, just sign. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.” This was her manager and he sounded more than serious about it. The tall midfielder checked her e-mail app instantly. In the meantime, Abby received a phone call herself, obviously about her own contract. “How much?!”, Dahlkemper yelled through the whole living room and covered her mouth with one hand seconds later. _What’s going on? Anything wrong with the contracts?_ Sam opened the file attached to the mail from her manager, then read the form carefully.

There were more than 10 main pages which belonged to the core of the document and more than twice as many about general rules and obligations connected to the club. She was way too excited to read every single line but her eyes focused on the important parts. _A monthly salary of 50.000 dollars plus sponsorships which are in the making. Extra pay granted for goals and assists above average monthly expectation. Any impediments will be paid by the USSF if the player is part of the USWNT._

This was a big deal for anybody who would sign a contract with the new club because usually the USSF paid for everything, even the salary of the national team’s players. That new clause meant Wambach’s team must’ve received massive support from the financial founders, probably to lessen the costs for the USSF so that they were willing to put every NWSL team’s player on the line for the new club to sign them if they’re able to pay a high enough transfer fee. A totally new thing for the National Women’s Soccer League which could revolutionize the whole process for the teams and the players equally.

“Does that mean they’re paying a whole lot of money just to get us out of our current clubs?”, Abby wondered quietly while reading the contract online herself. Mewis flopped herself onto the sofa and tried to get her mind together for a minute. “If that’s true, then this team could redefine the future of every club in the NWSL. I can’t believe Abby and Hope were able to set up an environment that the whole USWNT tried to establish for years”, Samantha replied as Dahlkemper sat down right next to her. The whole day seemed very surreal to them.

Abby rested her head on her lover’s shoulder and flashed her a cute smile. “Did you check out the club’s location?” Immediately the tall woman re-opened the document on her smartphone and searched for the right line. _Philadelphia, Pennsylvania._ “So you’re coming home again, huh?” Abby was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She spoke highly of her home state and always wanted to go back some time because she loved the nature and the many parks. “I really want to take this offer. I never thought they’d start a club anywhere in Pennsylvania and now they do and want us to be a part of it. It’s hard to believe I am this lucky”, Dahlkemper explained with her head still on Mewis’ shoulder.

“I really want to sign too, but does it really have to be the least colorful of all the founding states? Honestly, the people from Pennsylvania are so fucking boring”, Sam complained while looking deeply into Abby’s eyes. The tanned defender smirked, gave Mewis a pinch and kissed her lips afterwards. “Thank you in advance for signing because you want to establish a healthy and growing relationship with me, my gigantic love”, Dahlkemper whispered softly, “I think we’re gonna make Pennsylvania a lot more colorful…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed reading this longer chapter.  
Please leave kudos, comments and feel free to subscribe to get notified about any new chapters <3
> 
> Check out the fanfic series linked below if you want to read what some of Sam's & Abby's USWNT teammates are doing in the meantime!


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